


Everything

by wildflower_murals (orphan_account)



Category: Parks and Recreation
Genre: Depression, Doctors, F/F, Friends to Lovers, Suicide Attempts
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 06:58:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,066
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6843964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/wildflower_murals
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ben meets a cute lady who might just be able to help him with his depression.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Everything

Ben really doesn't want to be here. 

He doesn't want to be wasting his Friday night in the Pawnee Rec Center, but right now he doesn't have a choice.

Why did Chris even make him come to this? He'd rather be spending tonight on his couch watching  _Game of Thrones,_ or playing board games or updating his Star Trek fan fiction.

He'd rather die than be here.

After grazing at a small amount of treats, Ben and the others make their way to the table, where a cheerful blonde woman is already sitting.

She looks way too happy to be depressed, like he is.

Ben doesn't want to talk about his "issues", even though Chris says it's best for him. "Live your best life today, Ben Wyatt!" He'd say, with a stupid grin on his face.

Why couldn't Chris just go run into a tree? Ben wouldn't have a roommate then, so he could just spend all day huddled in his room with the shades drawn.

He hates everything. Chris loves everything. They are completely different, but it works.

The woman introduces herself as Leslie Knope, a physiatrist. She starts talking about what a great thing it is that they are seeking help, and even though you may feel alone, someone always mourns when you're gone, but Ben isn't listening. He's just peeling back his cuticles, a hobby that distracts him. Yes, after a while it starts to bleed, but Ben doesn't care. He doesn't really feel pain anymore, physical or emotional.

His skin is turning raw and red when he hears her say his name.

"Mr. Wyatt!"

Um.

"Yeah?"

"Would you mind telling us why you came here today?"

Would he?

"Uh, my roommate made me come."

He thinks that's a pretty satisfying answer, but Dr. Knope doesn't seem to think so.

"Is that the truth?"

"Yeah."

"Please speak to me when this is over, ok?"

Fine. She's tiny, it's not like that intimates him.

* * *

 

Forty-five minutes later, they are dismissed, but not before Leslie stops him.

"My office. 9am tomorrow."

What the hell?

"I'm good." Ben tries to walk around her, but she holds out her hands like a police officer.

At least she doesn't have a whistle.

"No you are not, Mr. Wyatt. 9am. Be there." Leslie shoves a business card into his hands and stalks off. 

For the record, he definitely does not check out her ass as she walks away.

But he does keep the card.

Who knows, it might actually do him some good.

Chris will be delighted.

When Ben unlocks the door to his and Chris' house, he heads straight for his bedroom, ignoring Chris' comments.

He finds the medicine he got but never takes, unscrews the cap and hesitates, thinking about his future. And how Leslie would be disappointed in him.

Ben dumps it in the trash anyway.

But he remembers 9am tomorrow.

And Ben digs it out of the trash can.

That night, he sleeps better than he has in weeks.

 

* * *

"You're late."

"I know, but can I still have my appointment?"

Ben got to Dr. Knope's office 20 minutes late, and now he's trying to plead a grouchy receptionist to still let him go in. And it's not working.

"No, there are other people here."

Ben looks around and sees no one else.

"There aren't."

"Donna, what's going on?"

Ben turns and sees Leslie in her uniform and his heart skips a beat. That uniform looks great on her. Ben doesn't want to think how great it would look on his bedroom floor too. Their eyes lock and Ben realizes that she's wearing glasses that magnify her blue eyes and make her look like a goddess.

Wow.

"Hi." He says weakly, trying to sound like he wasn't just fighting with a receptionists just a few seconds earlier.

Ben swears her eyes light up.

"Ben! Hi! I'm glad you came. Come on."

Leslie leads him to a small office and asks him why he came.

"Well, I wanted help."

"That's good. Do you feel like if you had someone helping you, your depression wouldn't be such a problem anymore?"

"I have my roommate, Chris."

"Describe Chris, please."

Ben swallows and takes a shaky breath.

He tells her everything. About Chris, about his depression, his suicide attempts, his car crash a month earlier, his parents divorce, everything.

Leslie doesn't say anything for a while.

She collects herself and sighs.

"Oh, Ben."

Ben looks up and prepares himself for what she had to say. Is she going to get him medicine or more help?

"I'm so sorry." 

And then she starts to cry.

Ben doesn't know what to do. He fidgets awkwardly when Leslie blows her nose and dries her eyes and wraps him in a big hug.

"This job," she hiccups, "Is so depressing. I'm trying to help people, but I can't. Did you know a lot of my former patients committed suicide?"

Ben responds by wrapping his arms around her as she continues to cry.

"I want to quit."

"Why?"

"Because I really like my client."

"Which one?"

Leslie sniffles. "I don't want to tell you."

"Describe him."

Leslie doesn't say anything after that.

* * *

 

Ben makes another appointment a week after that.

For help, obviously.

Definately not because of a cute physiatrist.

He does what Chris tells him to do, for once. Ben goes for walks, takes vitamins (ew), and ditches his gray sweatshirt for a plaid shirt.

He feels a lot better.

A week later, Ben goes back to Leslie's office.

She's not there.

Her receptionist said she quit.

Dr. Nygard is there now.

Whoever that is. 

He drives home and doesn't stop the car once.

When Ben pulls into his driveway, Leslie's sitting on the front steps.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"I quit my job."

Ben sighs.

"I know. Do you think you could still help me?"

She looks up. "What? Are you not taking the pills I gave you?"

"No, I am. You don't need to worry about that. My problem is, I like one of my doctors."

"Really?"

"Yeah. She's really cute, and she has great hair, and-"

Ben can barely get any more words out when suddenly, Leslie's lips are on his.

And suddenly, Ben can feel again.

They break apart for a second, when Leslie asks, "My place?"

Ben can barely breath out a "Yes," before she's kissing him again.

She is everything.


End file.
